Flip switch system for rechargeable power storage devices

Abstract

A system for operating an array of power storage devices having an output voltage, comprising an array of power storage devices, each is coupled to a two-port switching circuit and being serially connected to each other via the two-port switching circuit, such that during normal operation, the positive port of each power storage device is connected to the negative port of its subsequent power storage device, except for the power storage device having the highest voltage point, which is an output terminal of the array; a controller for controlling each of the two-port switching circuit, which is adapted to detect that an exceptional power storage device in the array has charging or powering characteristics that are outside a predetermined threshold window with respect to the remaining power storage devices in the array: electrically bypass the exceptional power storage device by directly connecting between the two ports of the switching circuit of the power storage, while excluding the exceptional power storage device from the connection, or; electrically flip, by the two-port switching circuit, the connection polarity of the exceptional power storage device, such that during a powering mode, when the array feeds a load, the exceptional power storage device will be charged by the current supplied to the load via all power storage devices of the array and during a charging mode, when the array is charged by a power source, the exceptional power storage device will be discharged by the charging current flowing through all the power storage devices of the array.f

1 . A method for operating an array of power storage devices having an output voltage Vo, each having a positive port and a negative port, comprising:
 a) providing an array of power storage devices, each of which being coupled to a two-port switching circuit and being serially connected to each other via said two-port switching circuit, such that during normal operation, the positive port of each power storage device is connected to the negative port of its subsequent power storage device, except for the power storage device having the highest voltage point, which is an output terminal of the array;   b) upon detecting that an exceptional power storage device in said array has charging or powering characteristics that are outside a predetermined threshold window with respect to the remaining power storage devices in said array:
 b.1) electrically bypassing said exceptional power storage device by directly connecting between the two ports of the switching circuit of said power storage, while excluding said exceptional power storage device from the connection, or; 
 b.2) electrically flipping, by said two-port switching circuit, the connection polarity of said exceptional power storage device, such that during a powering mode, when said array feeds a load, said exceptional power storage device will be charged by the current supplied to said load via all power storage devices of said array and during a charging mode, when said array is charged by a power source, said exceptional power storage device will be discharged by the charging current flowing through all the power storage devices of said array. 
   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising whenever the exceptional power storage device is bypassed or flipped, equalizing the output voltage of the array to be within a desired value Vo by serially connecting a standby equivalent power storage device to said array via a switching circuit. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 whenever the connection polarity of the exceptional power storage device is flipped, equalizing the output voltage of the array to be Vo by serially connecting two standby equivalent power storage devices to said array via a switching circuit; and   during powering mode, charging the standby equivalent power storage devices after connection to the array, via a power source being referred to a predetermined reference voltage.   
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined reference voltage is ground. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the two-port switching circuit is a full bridge consisting of:
 two pairs of serially connected controllable switches, said two pairs are parallelly connected to each other and to the ports of the power storage device;   a first port being connected to the mutual connection of one pair; and   a second port being connected to the mutual connection of the other pair.   
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the controllable switches are selected from the group of:
 transistors;   contactors.   
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the power source is a charger being referred to a predetermined reference voltage or to ground. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the power storage device is selected from the group of:
 a rechargeable battery;   a super capacitor;   a fuel cell.   
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein the rechargeable battery is a second life battery. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein the transistors are BJTs or MOSFETs or IGBT. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 5 , further comprising performing soft switching in the two-port switching circuit whenever the controllable switches are MOSFETs, each having an inherent diode, by:
 a) controlling one MOSFET not to conduct while allowing current to initially flow via its inherent diode;   b) controlling said MOSFET to conduct after the voltage over said inherent diode drops toward zero voltage.   
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein charging is performed using PWM, including a combination of predetermined charging time periods in maximum current and predetermined charging time periods in zero current and optionally predetermined charging time discharging periods. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a) adjusting the output voltages of two or more arrays by electrically bypassing one or more power storage device in at least one array, to have essentially similar output voltages;   b) adjusting the output voltages of two or more arrays by electrically flipping the connection polarity of one or more power storage device in at least one array, to have essentially similar output voltages; and   c) connecting one or more arrays having adjusted output voltages in parallel.   
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein each full bridge is controlled by a control circuit having a communication port, said control circuit being fed externally from the power storage device connected to said full bridge and is adapted to sample the voltage and the charging/powering current of said power storage device. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the output voltage of the entire array is reversed by electrically flipping the connection polarity of more than half of the power storage devices in the array, while at the same time, equalizing the charge over all power storage devices during charging and powering modes. 
     
     
         17 . A method for operating an array of power storage devices having an output voltage Vo, each having a positive port and a negative port, comprising:
 a) providing an array of power storage devices, each of which being coupled to a two-port switching circuit and being serially connected to each other via said two-port switching circuit, such that during normal operation, the positive port of each power storage device is connected to the negative port of its subsequent power storage device, except for the power storage device having the highest voltage point, which is an output terminal of the array;   b) whenever required:
 b.1) electrically bypassing said exceptional power storage device by directly connecting between the two ports of the switching circuit of said power storage, while excluding said exceptional power storage device from the connection, or; 
 b.2) electrically flipping, by said two-port switching circuit, the connection polarity of said exceptional power storage device, such that during a powering mode, when said array feeds a load, said exceptional power storage device will be charged by the current supplied to said load via all power storage devices of said array and during a charging mode, when said array is charged by a power source, said exceptional power storage device will be discharged by the charging current flowing through all the power storage devices of said array. 
   
     
     
         18 . A system for operating an array of power storage devices having an output voltage, comprising:
 a) an array of power storage devices, each of which being coupled to a two-port switching circuit and being serially connected to each other via said two-port switching circuit, such that during normal operation, the positive port of each power storage device is connected to the negative port of its subsequent power storage device, except for the power storage device having the highest voltage point, which is an output terminal of the array;   b) a controller for controlling each of said two-port switching circuit, which is adapted to:   c) detect that an exceptional power storage device in said array has charging or powering characteristics that are outside a predetermined threshold window with respect to the remaining power storage devices in said array;   d) electrically bypass said exceptional power storage device by directly connecting between the two ports of the switching circuit of said power storage, while excluding said exceptional power storage device from the connection, or;   e) electrically flip, by said two-port switching circuit, the connection polarity of said exceptional power storage device, such that during a powering mode, when said array feeds a load, said exceptional power storage device will be charged by the current supplied to said load via all power storage devices of said array and during a charging mode, when said array is charged by a power source, said exceptional power storage device will be discharged by the charging current flowing through all the power storage devices of said array.   
     
     
         19 . A system according to  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a) a standby equivalent power storage device;   b) a switching circuit for connecting and disconnecting said standby equivalent power storage device from the array,   wherein whenever the exceptional power storage device is bypassed or flipped by the controller, the controller equalizes the output voltage of the array to be within a desired value Vo by serially connecting said standby equivalent power storage device to the array.   
     
     
         20 . A system according to  claim 18 , further comprising a power source being referred to a predetermined reference voltage or to ground, for charging said standby equivalent power storage device upon or after serially connecting the standby equivalent power storage device to the array. 
     
     
         21 . A controlled power storage apparatus having a positive port and a negative port, comprising:
 a) a power storage device having a positive port and a negative port;   b) a two-port controllable switching circuit, to which said positive and negative ports are coupled, said two-port switching circuit having control inputs and being adapted to;
 b.1) upon receiving a first set of control commands at said control inputs, connect said positive port to a first port of said power storage device and said negative port to a second port of said switching circuit; 
 b.2) upon receiving a second set of control commands, electrically bypass said power storage device by controlling said control inputs to directly connect between the two ports of said switching circuit; and 
 b.3) upon receiving a third set of control commands, connect said negative port to said first port of said switching circuit and said positive port to said second port of said switching circuit, to thereby electrically flip the connection polarity of said power storage device.